Dementia is one of the biggest global health challenges of the current generation. This
challenge is not only due to the nature of the disease but also the complexity of
managing medications among the population. The Incidence of dementia is increasing
exponentially, with a higher prevalence among women. The thesis investigated i) the
prevalence of commonly used medications among women with dementia a year before
and after a dementia diagnosis; ii) the implementation of medication reviews for
Australian women with dementia, focusing on those living in residential aged-care
(RAC) and iii) polypharmacy prevalence and polypharmacy trajectories over time
among older women with and without dementia. For this research project, survey data
from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) 1921 - 1926
birth cohort were linked with government administrative datasets including the
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), agedcare
datasets, state-based hospital datasets and the National Death Index (NDI).
Advanced analytical techniques, such as Latent Class Analysis (LCA), Generalised
Estimating Equation (GEE), logistic regressions and Group-Based Trajectory Modelling
(GBTM) were used to investigate the aims of the thesis. Findings from the studies
revealed that considerable proportions of women utilised psychotropic medications both
before and after a dementia diagnosis. Among women with dementia, the use of
psychotropic medications was higher for those with frailty and those living in RAC. The
annual medication review was more common for women with dementia in general-and
among those living in RAC in particular-when compared to women without dementia
and those not living in RAC; however, the incidence of medication review was modest,
indicating limited uptake of medication review services funded under the MBS.
